Happy Birthday Lincoln, the communications maven!
Two hundred years ago today, Abraham Lincoln was born in a one-room cabin in Kentucky. As we commemorate the life and legacy of the fabled president, I thought I’d chime in with one of my favorite Lincoln-isms. For all of us who believe that communications is essential to social change, you’ll enjoy this 1858 quote from our first truly media-savvy president.
"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed. Consequently he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions. He makes statutes or decisions possible or impossible to be executed."
And, if you're interested in learning how Lincoln embraced new communications technologies of the times, I recommend Tom Wheeler’s book "Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails: The Untold Story of How Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War." You'll discover how Lincoln stayed in touch with troops on the battlefield in almost "real time."
Happy Birthday, Mr. President!
